It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown
It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown! is the thirty-eighth Peanuts animated special. It was released on VHS on August 5, 1997, being one of two Peanuts specials to currently have no DVD release. It was the last special to be released during Schulz's lifetime. The next special, It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown, was produced by Schulz but not released until after his death. Plot This special begins with Linus roller skating around town. He roller skates to a birthday party and back. On his way home, he passes a garden, and hears a beautiful singing voice. He enters the garden to find the source of the beautiful voice, and finds a little girl singing. Linus goes over to her, and introduces himself. She tells him her name is Mimi, and is visiting her grandmother for a while. Linus helps her in the garden, Mimi tells him how much she loves flowers and teaches him about them. After they finish gardening, Linus tells her he has just come from a birthday party, Mimi tells him she loves birthday parties. Linus then invites her to his birthday, which is in a few days, and she accepts. Linus hears her beautiful voice everywhere he goes, and says he can not get her out of his head. He does not even realize what he is writing when the teacher asks him to write on the board. When Lucy is looking over Linus's birthday party guest list, she asks who Mimi is. Linus tells her, and Lucy thinks it is ridiculous that he is inviting a girl he just met, and that she probably will not show up. Linus assures her that she will show up, and even sing to him. Linus does not even think the party will be fun if Mimi is not there. Later that day, after Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, and Snoopy have been shopping, the party takes place. Linus greets everyone who comes, but wonders where Mimi is. Nevertheless, Linus is still certain that that she will come. While all the other children are enjoying the party, Linus waits by the door, looking for Mimi. He begins to worry that she will not show up. Then Lucy brings out the cake, and starts singing "Happy Birthday" to Linus. Linus tries getting her to stop, because Mimi has not shown up yet, but it is too late, everyone else joins her in singing, and Linus grows very upset. As soon as they finish singing, Linus hears a familiar voice singing "Happy Birthday". Linus becomes very excited, when he realizes the girl singing is Mimi. He runs outside and finds Mimi in her car. Once Mimi finishes singing, she hands Linus a flower and gives him a kiss on the forehead, then the car drives away. Linus becomes so happy that she did this, that he starts dancing, and soon becomes the life of the party. The next morning at the brick wall, Charlie Brown tells Linus that he is sorry he did not get to meet Mimi. Linus, who is still thinking about Mimi, wonders if he will ever hear her beautiful singing again. The special ends with Woodstock appearing next to them and whistling Mimi's song, much to Linus and Charlie Brown's enjoyment. Voice cast *Steven Hartman – Charlie Brown *Anthony Burch – Linus van Pelt *Jamie Cronin – Lucy van Pelt/Mimi *Danielle Keaton – Sally Brown *Brandon Taylor – "Pig-Pen" *Megan Ellis – Birthday Girl *Bill Melendez – Snoopy/Woodstock Patty, Shermy, Franklin, Frieda, and Marcie appear, but are silent. Soundtrack #"Rollerblading" #"Linus and Lucy" #"Getting Ready" #"Rollerblading" #Unknown track title #"Rollerblading" #"O Mio Babbino Caro" #"O Mio Babbino Caro" #"Woodstock Whistles" #"Linus Tells Charlie" #"O Mio Babbino Caro" #"Linus and Lucy" #"Birthday Blues" #"Birthday Blues" #Unknown track title #"Birthday Blues" #"Happy Birthday to You" (traditional, sung by cast) #"Happy Birthday to You" (traditional, sung by Mimi) #"Getting Ready" #"Linus Tells Charlie" #"Woodstock Whistles" #"Rollerblading" Notes *During the party scenes, most of the animation of the characters dancing was reused from It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown. * This special marks the first time a Peanuts special was animated with digital ink and paint as opposed to traditional cel animation. * Three tracks from this special, "Getting Ready", "Linus Tells Charlie" and "Rollerblading" were later released in the albums, Here's to You, Charlie Brown!: 50 Great Years ''and ''Jazz for Peanuts: A Retrospective of the Charlie Brown TV Themes, ''respectively. * The song that Mimi sings is "O Mio Babbino Caro" by Giacomo Puccini. The song was previously used in ''She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown. * According to the commercial for this special on some VHS tapes, it is the "first new Peanuts Classic in 11 years". However, this is not completely true, as the last Peanuts special to be aired, Snoopy's Reunion, was aired only 6 years prior. It is likely they are referring to Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, ''which was the most recent video up to then released in the ''Peanuts Classics ''line of videos, along with the other holiday episode. Thus, this marks the first non-holiday special to be released in the line. External links *[[IMDB:tt0173932|''It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown on the Internet Movie Database.]] *[http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/28585-Its-Linus-Birthday-Charlie-Brown It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown on the Big Cartoon Database.] *[http://www.allmovie.com/movie/it-was-my-best-birthday-ever-charlie-brown-v188926 It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown on AllMovie.] Category:TV specials Category:1997 Category:TV specials featuring Linus van Pelt Category:TV specials featuring Lucy van Pelt Category:TV specials featuring Charlie Brown Category:TV specials featuring Sally Brown Category:TV specials featuring "Pig-Pen" Category:TV specials featuring Patty Category:TV specials featuring Shermy Category:TV specials featuring Franklin Category:TV specials featuring Frieda Category:TV specials featuring Marcie